Twelve months ago Sergio Garcia suffered the biggest humiliation of his
fledgling career with rounds of 89 and 83 over windy Carnoustie in last
year's Open Championship
He was last seen sobbing and being comforted by his mother as he made his way
back to sunny Spain.
But a narrow second place to Tiger Woods in the USPGA and a brilliant Ryder
Cup debut put him firmly back on the tracks and he says he is now ready once
again to take up the unique challenge of links play in Scotland.
"Carnoustie is gone," the 20-year-old Garcia said as he looked forward to
Thursday's first round over a course he says he adores.
"God chose that tournament to do bad for me and I did. But if I was still
thinking of Carnoustie, I would not be playing as well as I have been in the
last few months," he said.
Ironically, Garcia has again been drawn with Masters champion Vijay Singh,
the same player who gave him an encouraging pat on the back on the 18th hole
as he made his ignominious exit from Carnoustie.
"It's good to have that kind of player around when you are having a hard time
like last year that is supporting you and telling you: 'Don't worry about it.
Those things happen," he said. "But hopefully we will be able to do a little
bit better than last year."
Garcia has some pedigree at St Andrews having helped Jose Maria Olazabal and
Miguel Angel Jimenez to win the Alfred Dunhill Cup for Spain and it's clear
he is far happier on the Old Course than at Carnoustie just a few miles away
on the other side of the Firth of Tay.
"You know, if they would play the British Open at St Andrews every year, I
would feel really happy," he said."I really like the knock-down shots and
carrying against the wind and drawing and all that stuff."
